How many types of marijuana are there?

Despite there being thousands of cannabis hybrids, as many as breeders can create, they can all be classified into three large groups: Sativa, Indica, and Ruderalis.

Each one of these strains has its own unique phenotypes, terpene profiles and chemical features, and so do the hybrids resulting from them.

The following chart shows the most distinctive characteristics of sativa, indica and ruderalis genetics:

	INDICA
Flowering phase	Short (7 – 9 weeks).
Flowers	Dense and compact, small yet heavy. Growing in clusters.
Structure	Short, compact and sturdy.
Leaves	Wide and round. Dark green.
Origin	Asia and Indian subcontinent (Afghanistan, Pakistan, India, Tibet, Nepal…).
Preferred climate	Cold with short seasons.
Aroma	Very strong.
THC/CBD	More CBD, less THC.
Effects	Physical (relaxing, narcotic, pain-relieving, appetite-boosting, sleep-inducing).
Effects depending on trichome ripeness during harvest	15-20% of amber trichomes: less relaxing and slightly stimulating. 30% of amber trichomes: relaxing/sedative. 80-100% of amber trichomes: heavy/sedative and sleep-inducing.

	SATIVA
Flowering phase	Long (9 – 22 weeks). Plants keep growing even after they've entered the flowering period.
Flowers	Elongated, bulky yet less dense and heavy. Growing all over the stem and branches. Less resinous than indica varieties.
Structure	Tall and slender.
Leaves	Spiky and elongated. Light green.
Origin	Asia, America y Africa. Thailand, Colombia, Jamaica, Mexico...
Preferred climate	Warm with long seasons.
Aroma	Light.
THC/CBD	More THC, less CBD.
Effects	Cerebral (euphoric, lucid, psychedelic, stimulating, cheerful, and creativity, concentration and imagination-boosting).
Effects depending on trichome ripeness during harvest	15-20% of amber trichomes: stimulating, lucid and euphoric. 30% of amber trichomes: lucid, euphoric and psychedelic. 80%-100% of amber trichomes: heavier, narcotic and highly psychedelic.

	RUDERALIS
Comprehensive life cycle (from germination)	Short (10 - 12 weeks). Fast ripening stage. Flower automatically regardless of the photoperiod in about 5-7 weeks. This is known as autoflowering.
Flowers	Small and compact.
Structure	Small, around 30-80 cm tall. Not very branchy yet highly resistant.
Leaves	Wide.
Origin	Russian, Southern Siberia and Northern Kazakhstan.
Preferred climate	Suitable for any environment. Hostile climates, short and cold summers...
Aroma	A wide range of intense aromas.
THC/CBD	Low THC and high CBD.
Effects	Gentle.